Power integrated circuits (ICs), especially for circuit systems that use a plurality of voltages, are becoming more and more complex with many different features and configurations. Prior art power management ICs such as, but not limited to, the DA9011/9030/9031 by Dialog Semiconductor Inc. (Irvine, Calif.) and the MAX1586A by Maxium Integrated Products, Inc. (Sunnyvale, Calif.) include several switching converters and linear regulators that have adjustable output voltages, but these power management ICs are essentially fixed in design and are developed for a specific and narrow range of power-using applications. For example, without limitation, FIG. 1 shows a prior art power management IC, in which a master controller controls power supply blocks via parallel configuration buses driven by configuration registers. Unfortunately, this parallel configuration bus architecture is not scalable, and thus disadvantageous. For instance, when there is a need for more configurable flexibility (hence more bits) and/or the number of power supply blocks in a chip increases, the result is a bus architecture with significantly more signal wires. Other prior art power management ICs use IC pins and passive components to configure the output voltage of a power supply block, which undesirably results in larger IC packages and more system components.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of an exemplary prior art power management IC 11. In power management IC 11 a master controller 12 controls power supply blocks 14 via parallel configuration buses driven by configuration registers 13. As previously described power management IC 11 is not scalable. Therefore, when there is a need for more configurable flexibility, or more bits, and/or the number of power supply blocks 14 in a chip increases, the result is a bus architecture with significantly more signal wires.
Beyond being inflexible, it is also very difficult and risky to scale up a given conventional power management IC design, especially as the number of required functions increase significantly. Scaling up or customizing known conventional ICs almost always involves significant resources and time to rework design, layout, and evaluation.
In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a more flexible power management IC that is highly programmable and scalable.
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.